Dave Hilson, Toronto Sun

It’s unlikely leaders at the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic were nervously looking over their shoulders when they heard amateur sensation Brooke Henderson had made the cut Friday.

After all, the 16-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., was well off the pace after second-round play had wrapped up. But if Henderson continues to perform the way she has recently, she might be part of a Sunday conversation in the future.

“It’s awesome,” Henderson enthused about playing Saturday.

For Henderson, making the cut and getting through to the weekend at an LPGA event is just part of her maturation as a golfer.

“You get to know the pros a little bit better, you get to play against the best in the world a little bit longer,” she said. “It’s great to be able to experience the larger crowds and get used to them also.”